America: Facts vs. Fiction

SN 5 | EP 6 | Science or Sci-Fi?

On this special edition of America: Facts vs. Fiction, the science in our nation's history is examined. We'll explore the myths that infect America's medical history, and learn the facts behind America's nuclear age. We assume the sick in colonial days visited their doctor, but instead many raced to their barber. Abraham Lincoln used a toxic remedy that warped his mind, and after George Washington's death, a doctor came to Mount Vernon with a wild plan to reanimate his corpse. The first atomic test in New Mexico in 1945, was four times more powerful than scientists predicted, and the city of Manhattan actually played a major role in the Manhattan Project. There were closer calls to World War III than the Cuban Missile Crisis. And America's nuclear security hinges on a football and a biscuit.

Filling in the holes, debunking the myths and making whole the half-truths of history is the essence of "America: Facts vs. Fiction." Hosted by former naval officer and actor Jamie Kaler, the series digs deep into many myths and legends to explore how and why historical details are sometimes altered to produce a more compelling narrative. Paul Revere, for example, didn't gallop through Middlesex County shouting, "The British are coming!" to warn residents of the impending war, and similarly juicy details tied to other events and people have been lost, distorted, covered up or simply ignored as years passed. Kaler, by the way, is best known as an actor for his role in the TBS comedy "My Boys."

Filling in the holes, debunking the myths and making whole the half-truths of history is the essence of "America: Facts vs. Fiction." Hosted by former naval officer and actor Jamie Kaler, the series digs deep into many myths and legends to explore how and why historical details are sometimes altered to produce a more compelling narrative. Paul Revere, for example, didn't gallop through Middlesex County shouting, "The British are coming!" to warn residents of the impending war, and similarly juicy details tied to other events and people have been lost, distorted, covered up or simply ignored as years passed. Kaler, by the way, is best known as an actor for his role in the TBS comedy "My Boys."